Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Johnson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I completed my library science degree in 2003 and began working for the Harris County Public Library in 2004 as a Reference Librarian with the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library, formerly the Freeman Memorial Library. I was privileged to be a part of the new 40,000 square foot branch’s reopening as one of the first city-county libraries in the system. I served in this role in the adult services department for almost four years and gained a wealth of experience serving the public in the NASA/JSC community with all of their information needs.
In 2008, I was promoted to the Kingwood Branch Library, another branch of the HCPL system, as Assistant Branch Librarian/Manager and was further able to diversify my experience as the branch approached a transition, like the Freeman branch a few years earlier, into a new building as a city-county branch. Once the new 30,000 square-foot facilities opened in 2010, I helped set up the services of the second floor of the building as the Assistant Branch Librarian/Manager of Adult Services. The transition came at a time when the economy was still struggling with the effects of a downturn, which limited the number of staff able to support the branch and which consequently meant I and the staff had to wear many hats to offer all of the services we both traditionally and uniquely offered, whether it was answering reference questions, teaching computer classes, or setting up HCPL’s first young adult video game room. We made it work, however, and the community was much better for its new, larger library.
In early 2012, I returned to the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library as Branch Manager. During the five years I served in this role, I and the staff were privileged to move library services forward both for the branch and the County, due in no small part to the support of the NASA/JSC community and the Friends of Freeman Library, a nonprofit fundraising organization in existence almost as long as the library itself. I thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to serve as manager of this community library, which began in 1964 as the Johnson Space Center came into its own and which was named after Theodore Freeman, the first astronaut in the space program to lose his life. The staff and I sought out the creation of innovative services and programs, such as the Jocelyn H. Lee Innovation Lab, a free community makerspace, the first of its kind in public libraries in the Houston and Harris County region. We also strengthened the branch’s connection to the JSC community visibly through special displays, including a few one-of-a-kind artifacts connected to the original Apollo astronauts.
In the summer of 2017, I changed roles again and moved to our Administrative Offices in a professional support role in the Branch Services division, which is the direct liaison to all of our library branch managers and staff. This current position puts me more in service of the staff and allows me to see the larger picture for the system and appreciate the work HCPL does as a whole for the general public of Harris County.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The economic downturn of 2008 and the immediate years following were difficult for Harris County as much as anyone. As mentioned, this created challenges when opening the new Kingwood Branch Library building in 2010, namely in staffing and consequently open hours. On the upside, these limitations, which have since improved, resulted in staff, including myself, having to stretch themselves a bit to serve in many ways and diversify their skills and experience in order to continue serving the public in the way they deserved. All in all, I and others were better for the challenges and are appreciative of where we’ve been and how we continue to progress.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Harris County Public Library’s stated mission is to provide information and resources to enrich lives and strengthen communities through innovative services within and beyond our walls. Our libraries offer more than books, a fact of which we are proud. We are continually looking for new ways to challenge the traditional understanding of what public libraries are by seeking new non-traditional offerings that nevertheless remain consistent with our mission. Just a few of these services, resources, and programs include, but are not limited to: children’s, teens, and adult special programs; computer and technology classes; English language and literacy tutoring; passport services; small-business counseling; 3D printing and makerspace tools and classes; test proctoring; and meeting space booking. The list goes on. What sets us most apart, as with almost any public library, is the fact that these services and resources are essentially free to the public.
What were you like growing up?
I was a shy child, teenager, and college student. Aside, obviously, from reading, I remember retreating with more quiet, introverted kinds of activities. I especially enjoyed both building model aircraft and sketching military airplanes, imagining that, if not as a pilot, I would one day work with aircraft, perhaps as an aerospace engineer. During and immediately after college, things took a turn, and I felt compelled to pursue religious studies. While I appreciated what I learned, it did not result in a career. I ultimately ended up in the library profession, which likely would have been a surprise of my earlier self. However, as a public librarian, it allows me to maintain interest in multiple subjects and perspectives, which has always been a bent of mine and to appreciate knowledge for its own sake.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hcpl.net
- Phone: 713-274-6600
- Email: http://www.questionpoint.org/crs/servlet/org.oclc.admin.BuildForm?=&institution=10838&type=1&language=1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harriscountypl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harriscountypl
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/harriscountypl
- Other: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hcplebranch/
Image Credit:
Nancy Hu, Anthony Reyes for HCPL
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